Heat exchange panels

ABSTRACT

916,296. Heating and cooling appliances. YAT CHUEN YUEN. July 21, 1961, No. 26533/61. Class 81 (2). [Also in Groups XIII and XIV] A heat exchanger for circulating hot or cold medium, incorporated in an article of clothing and made of rubber or synthetic resin such as nylon, has at least one passage 17, 18 closed at each end and filled with a non-circulating fluid, for withstanding external pressure. The heat exchanger may comprise a grid of ducts interconnecting side headers, Figs. 1-3 (not shown); closed-end ducts forming the non-circulating passages extend from header to header alternating with the circulating ducts. As shown, a single circulating duct 14, with an inlet 15 and an outlet 16, zig-zags along the heat exchanger and back on itself parallel with the outgoing portion. A closed-end duct 18 extends from one end of the heat exchanger to the other, parallel between the outgoing and return portions of the circulating duct 14. A surrounding closed-end duct 17 extends up one side, across an end and back down the other side with branches 17&lt;SP&gt;2&lt;/SP&gt; extending into the spaces between the zig-zags of the circulating duct 14.

Feb. 8, 1966 YAT CHUEN YUEN HEAT EXCHANGE PANELS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 17, 1962 VFIGS HG1. mi

FIG. 2.

FIG.6.

Feb. 8, 1966 YAT cHUEN vul-:N 3,233,662

HEAT EXCHANGE PANELS Filed July l?, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HHIIHIHMUHHVILZIIIII l l l I I I l II 2| FIG.7.

United States Patent() 3,233,662 HEAT EXCHANGE PANELS Yat Chuen Yuen, 214A Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong Filed July 17, 1962, Ser. No. 210,476 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 21, 1961, 26,533/ 61 6 Claims. (Cl. 165-46) This invention relates to iiexible hea-t exchange panels made in the form of a panel of flexible material such as, for example, natural or synthetic rubber, synthetic plastic material such as, by way of example, nylon, etc. Although they may be used for other purposes, they are particularly designed for incorporating in articles of clothing such as, for example, diving coats or jackets, mats, cushions, compartments, windows, roofs, or for installation for space heating Vor cooling, or in refrigerators, cold storage, vehicles, marine craft or aircraft. The panels are of course understood to be used connected to a suitable means for heating or cooling the circulating thermal liquid or Huid therein. s

A heat exchange panel made in accordance with the present invention is characterized in that it is provided with one Ior more non-circulating ducts closed at both ends and filled with a non-circulating fluid, which may be a liquid or a gas, to assist in withstanding external pressures. The iexibility of the panels permits them to conform to the outlines of the space wherein they are mounted.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a heat exchange panel having the advantageous features mentioned above.

Referring briefly to the accompanying drawing:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line iI-II of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line yIII-III of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the longitudinal center of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI 0f FIG. l, and

FIG. 7 is a view as seen along the arrows V\II `VII of FIG. 5.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the heat exchange panel shown in FIGS. 1-3 is substantially rectangular and comprises inflow and return iiow ducts denoted at 10 and 11, respectively extending along the longitudinal side edges of the radiator, a plurality of circulating ducts 12 extending transversely of the radiator and communicating at their ends with the inflow and return iow ducts, and a plurality of non-circulating ducts 13 alternating respectively with the ducts 12. The ends of the ducts 13 are closed or sealed, as by plugs or walls 20, and these ducts are lled with a uid, liquid or gaseous.

The circulating ducts 12 are distinguished in FIG. l by dashedot-dash-dot-dash-dot center lines and the non-circulating ducts 13 are distinguished by dashdash-dot-dot-dash-dash center lines In the use the circulating fluid passes along the duct 10, through the circulating ducts 12, and it is returned through the duct 11.

The heat exchange panel shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is also substantially rectangular and comprises a circulating duct 14 of zig-Zag shape and is distinguished by a dash- CII closed at each end and extending longitudinally along veach side and across the ends of the radiator, a plurality of transverse branches connected to one side of the duct 17 and a plurality of branches extending transversely and connected to the other side of the duct 17. The transverse branches connected to the side of the duct 17 shown on `the left in the drawing are denoted respectively by 171,

172, 173, 174, and 175. The transverse branches connected to the side of the duct 17 shown on the right in the drawing are denoted by 176, 177, 172, and 179. The closed ducts also comprise a second non-circulating duct 5 1S closed at Iboth ends and of Zig-zag shape, having transverse `branches 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, and 188. Thus the branches of the circulating duct 14 alternate throughout the radiator withnon-circulating ducts which are lilled with a fluid for the purpose above referred to.

As shown in the drawing, the panel in each modification is formed of a sheet 22 of the flexible material, whose rear or bottom is flat, and all of the ducts are formed by securing the substantially semi-circular channels 25 to the front or top side of the sheet.

In the modiiication shown in FIG. 1, the transverse circulating ducts 12 are all connected to the additional longitudinally extending inlet and outlet ducts 10 and 11, via which the thermal uid is fed into and passed through the said circulating ducts 12.

In the modification shown in FIG. 4, the circulating ducts 151, 152 158 and 161, 162 162 are all connected to the inlet and outlet extensions or additional longitudinally extending ducts 23 and 24, respectively, via which the thermal iiuid is fed into and passed through the said circulating ducts.

Radiators of the type herein disclosed may be used in or on aircraft for cooling purposes or for melting ice, as anti-pressure layers, or as a hot or cold circulating layer.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to the accompanying drawing :such is not to be construed as a limitation upon the invention which is best defined in the accompanying claims.

The invention having thus been described, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A flexible heat exchange device consisting of a substantially rectangular panel of flexible `material having a plurality of equidistantly spaced non-circulating ducts of constant width and cross-sectional area throughout their length, said non-circulating ducts being closed at their outer ends, and spaced from each other a distance sub* stantially equal to the Width of the ducts, a plurality of circulating ducts having substantially the same constant width and cross-sectional area as the non-circulating ducts and occupying the spaces between the non-circulating ducts, and inflow and return flow ducts communicating with the circulating ducts and being adapted to have a thermal liquid passed therethrough, the non-circulating ducts being iilled with a iluid to enable the panel to withstand external pressure.

2. A heat exchange device according to claim 1, wherein said inflow and return ow ducts extend respectively along the opposed longitudinal edges of the panel and the circulating ducts and the non-circulating ducts extend transversely of the panel between the intlow and return flow ducts.

3. A heat exchange device according to claim 1, wherein both the non-circulating ducts and the circulating ducts have al zigzag formation and include spaced portions extending longitudinally of the panel and spaced portions extending transversely of the panel.

4. A heat exchange device` comprising a substantially rectangular panel of flexible material, the panel consisting of a sheet having a front side and a rear side, a plurality of substantially semi-circular ducts on said front side of the sheet, at least the greater portion of the length of theA majority ofsaid plurality `of ducts extending transversely of said sheetand occupying the greater portion of the area ofv the sheet, the totality of said ducts having the same crosssectional area andl being spaced edge-to edge on the sheet, alternate yones of said totality of ducts having their ends closed to provide non-circulating ducts and being filled with a iiuid to withstand external pressure, the ducts between said alternate ones having their ends open to provide circulating ducts, and additional semicircular inlet and outletducts having said same crosssectional area on said frontv side of said sheet, said additional ducts being positioned longitudinally with respect to the sheet and being connected with said circulating ducts for pass-ing a thermal Huid through said circulating ducts..

5. A heat exchange device according to claim 4, said additional ducts consisting of two ducts extending along opposite longitudinal edges of said sheet, the ends of said circulating ducts being connected to said additional ducts at longitudinally spaced intervals equal to the width of the ducts, both of said two ducts having the ends thereof at one end of said sheet closed and having the ends thereof at the other end of the sheet open, one of said open ends of said two ducts providing an inlet for the thermal fluid, the `other of said open ends of saidr two ducts providing an outlet for the thermal Huid.

6. A heat exchange device according to claim 4, the lesser portion of said plurality of said ducts extend-ing longitudinally with respect tov said sheet.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,255,751 9/1941 Bancel 16S-46X 2,699,325 l/1955 Hedin Y V., 16S-.168 2,719,986 10/1955 Rand a 5?47 2,731,652 1/1956 Bishop .V Y 5,-348 2,930,594 3/1960 MacCracken Va, 165-46 X 2,978,225 4./1961 Dallas A 165-46 2,998,317 9/1961 Armstrong 5 349 X 3,030,640 4/1962 Gosman 5-349 3,112,792 12/1963 Coleman l l 165-46 3,148,391 9/1964 Whitny 5-:348

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

